[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1437 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  1st Session
                                S. 1437

 To provide for an increase in funding for the conduct and support of 
    diabetes-related research by the National Institutes of Health.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 29, 1995

Mr. Thurmond (for himself and Mr. Simon) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for an increase in funding for the conduct and support of 
    diabetes-related research by the National Institutes of Health.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Diabetes Research Act of 1995''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Diabetes is a serious health problem in America.
            (2) More than 14,000,000 Americans suffer from diabetes.
            (3) Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death in 
        America, taking the lives of 162,000 people annually.
            (4) Diabetes disproportionately affects minority 
        populations, especially African-Americans, Hispanics, and 
        Native Americans.
            (5) Diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness, 
        affecting up to 39,000 Americans each year.
            (6) Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure 
        requiring dialysis or transplantation, affecting up to 13,000 
        Americans each year.
            (7) Diabetes is the leading cause of nontraumatic 
        amputations, affecting 54,000 Americans each year.
            (8) The cost of treating diabetes and its complications are 
        staggering for our Nation.
            (9) Diabetes accounted for health expenditures of 
        $105,000,000,000 in 1992.
            (10) Diabetes accounts for over 14 percent of our Nation's 
        health care costs.
            (11) Federal funds invested in diabetes research over the 
        last two decades has led to significant advances and, according 
        to leading scientists and endocrinologists, has brought the 
        United States to the threshold of revolutionary discoveries 
        which hold the potential to dramatically reduce the economic 
        and social burden of this disease.
            (12) The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and 
        Kidney Diseases supports, in addition to many other areas of 
        research, genetic research, islet cell transplantation 
        research, and prevention and treatment clinical trials focusing 
        on diabetes. Other research institutes within the National 
        Institutes of Health conduct diabetes-related research focusing 
        on its numerous complications, such as heart disease, eye and 
        kidney problems, amputations, and diabetic neuropathy.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH; INCREASED FUNDING REGARDING 
              DIABETES.

    With respect to the conduct and support of diabetes-related 
research by the National Institutes of Health--
            (1) in addition to any other authorization of 
        appropriations that is available for such purpose for the 
        fiscal year involved, there are authorized to be appropriated 
        for such purpose such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
        fiscal years 1996 through 2000; and
            (2) of the amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) for 
        such purpose for a fiscal year, the Director of the National 
        Institutes of Health shall reserve--
                    (A) not less than $155,000,000 for such purpose for 
                the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and 
                Kidney Diseases; and
                    (B) not less than $160,000,000 for such purpose for 
                the other national research institutes.
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